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The USD 23 billion JSW Group is setting up an unmanned aerial systems manufacturing facility with an investment of about Rs. 850 crores at the Maheshwaram electronics manufacturing cluster, on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
The USD 23 billion JSW Group is setting up an unmanned aerial systems manufacturing facility with $90 million investment at the Maheshwaram electronics manufacturing cluster, on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
It has entered into a strategic partnership with the US-based defence technology firm Shield AI to manufacture Shield AI’s Group 3 unmanned aerial system under a long-term licensing arrangement for technology transfer. A fixed-wing, vertical take-off and landing long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance platform, V-BAT, is currently deployed by multiple armed forces globally, including the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Units.
The manufacturing, at the facility of JSW Defence, is expected to commence by the last quarter of 2026, JSW Group said after the foundation stone laying ceremony in which IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, JSW Group’s Parth Jindal and others participated.
The USD 23 billion JSW Group is setting up an unmanned aerial systems manufacturing facility with an investment of about Rs. 850 crores at the Maheshwaram electronics manufacturing cluster on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
It has entered into a strategic partnership with US-based defence technology firm Shield AI to manufacture the latter’s Group 3 unmanned aerial system under a long-term licensing arrangement for technology transfer. A fixed-wing, vertical take-off and landing long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) platform, V-BAT, is currently deployed by multiple armed forces globally, including the U.S. Marine Expeditionary Units.
The manufacturing, at the facility of JSW Defence, is expected to commence by the last quarter of 2026, JSW Group said after the foundation stone laying ceremony in which IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, JSW Group’s Parth Jindal and others participated.
The investment will enable JSW to establish a local supply chain and create an advanced facility in India for manufacturing, assembling and testing V-BAT. The effort will enable large-scale production of V-BATs in India to serve the needs of the Indian Armed Forces and also function as a global production hub, the Group said.
Project Will Create over 300 High-Value jobs.
The facility is spread over 16 acres and will have a capacity to manufacture 300 V-BAT drones annually. It will house production, repair, testing, administrative, and support infrastructure. This project will create over 300 high-value jobs, the Minister’s office said.
“From manufacturing the globally renowned V-BAT at scale, the facility will lay the foundation for an integrated, end-to-end UAS ecosystem, from advanced manufacturing to operator training, manufacturing repair and operations (MRO) and sustained innovation. This project stands among the most significant defence technology transfers to India,” Mr Jindal said.
On the Group’s defence ventures, he said the drone manufacturing project follows the JSW Gecko Motors joint venture, with a Ukrainian company, to make special mobility vehicles in Chandigarh. The facility was commissioned about 18 months ago and supplied nearly 200 vehicles to the Indian Army and the United Nations. In the same facility, JSW has another JV with an American firm to manufacture off-road vehicles.
Total Rs 1,200 Crore investment
The Group will invest a total of Rs. 1,200 crores in defence ventures, including Rs. 320 crores for technology transfer from Shield. He said India Armed Forces were evaluating the UAS from a localization perspective. The initial order is for importing eight UAS through the emergency procurement route, which is directly catered for by Shield AI. The larger orders will be placed once the facility is up, he said.
Telangana Aims to be a Defence Hub
The IT and Industries Minister said Telangana is working towards positioning itself as a strategic defence hub of India by developing a strong ecosystem for unmanned systems and advanced defence manufacturing. The State government is preparing a comprehensive roadmap to transform Telangana into a global leader in defence innovation, with a special focus on unmanned aerial systems, drone technologies and aerospace manufacturing. There are plans to establish a drone manufacturing and testing corridor to boost indigenous defence capabilities, Mr Sridhar Babu said.
Source: The Hindu
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